PUBLIC ENEMY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 185, 6 August 1936, Page 22

PUBLIC ENEMY.

It was towards' dusk wlicn the car pulled up outside Dr. Fachtmann's surgery. It lurched as it swung-round the corner, and there was-a squeal of tyres as it came to rest at the side of the grass verge. At the back of the car the blonde woman stroked her. companion's forehead. It was dump 'Svith sweat. "This the place, Charlie?" The driver half tinned in his seat. "Yeah, this is it. How. is he?" "Seems all right. Strong enough to mak6 it if I give him a hand." Charlie nudged the man sitting next to him. "You go along with her. No sense taking chances." • - "0.K., Charlie, if you say so." "Then make it snappy. We .ain't got all night to waste in this burgh. Want some gas, too. I'll push along and get it while he's being fixed." Tiny opened the door where the blonde woman sat. "Let's have him." The head resting against the blonde woman's shoujder jerked forward. "Where's this? What are you doing?" .. ."S ail right.. It's a doe.'s. Going to bust in on him. Come on." Between them, the woman and Tinv got the little man out of the car. He shuffled up the steps on the grass bank, and leaning on Tiny's arm walked up the path. From' the .car Charlie watched ' them, his lingers tapping the steering wheel. Ho saw them reach the door, heard Tiny knock, aiid as if someone had been waiting; saw it open almost immediately.A middle-aged, pleasant-faced woman. He couldn't see very clearly, but she looked all right. 1 "Oh, good evening," said the blonde. "This Doctor Fachtmann's?" "Sure it's Fachtnianu's," put in Tiny. "You see, ma'am, we've had an accident. My buddy here. Nasty accident." "Better bring him inside," said the woman.

She flung the door open wider, and motioned them in. •:

"My he looks bad " said the pleasant faced woman. "What happened?"

"It's his chest, ma'am. A piece of glass pushed in it." Tiny glanced around for a chair.

"I'll go get my husband." Mrs. Faelitinaiin stared curiously at her visitors at the mail now slumped in the chair. * # * *

She disappeared through a door, one which led to the surgery. Her husband, was bent over a microscope, heavy lines of perplexity and doubt creasing his brow. "Put it down, put it down," he 6aid testily. "I'm busy." "Fred!" Something in her tone aroused him. Ho swung round..' "Well, what is it? Seen a ghost?" "There's some people here, Fred. Say they've had an accident." "What sort of accident?" "I don't know. The man said some glass had gone into his chest. A motor smash -or something." Dr. Fachtmann .made a sucking noise with his teeth. "That's a nuisance: Why the devil don't .people have their accidents at more convenient times. Strangers, I take it?" "Yes, Fred. And there's a blonde woman."

"Why not a blonde woman ? Look here, Hannah, what's the mystery. Nothing wrong?" "Nothing Fred, Jtjjit, . . . I thought. . . . Dicl you -see what it said in the paper this morning? About those men? About Huston?"

"Tiny Huston?" Dr. Fachtmann laughed. "Of course, he had a blonde with him didn't he? But if every man with a blonde is fi public enemy there's some mighty dangerous characters right here in Doaxvillc." All his annoyance had vanished. He rinsed his hands in disinfectant. "I'll guess we'll check up on your gangster friends." "You the doc.?" Tiny asked him, as he walked in to meet them. Dr. Fachtmann nodded. ■ "My buddy here. Piece of glass stuck in his chest. Want you to fix it." '' The man in the'chair struggled erect. "I've lost a lot of blood. Can't you let me have a shot of something?" •#*'Tll see ' what's wrong first ?" Dr. Fachtmann the coat. "Now we'll have your jacket oft." The shirt had clotted to his body, and as the doctor carefully pulled it free, the blood welled again at the lip of the wound. A smallish wound, but gaping.

"A roadster, some jane driving, hit us. Didn't hurt us any, but he copped.a packet. Nasty mess, ain't it?" Dr. Faclitinann.i did not answer. For a moment there was silence. It was easy to read his thoughts. "Well, what you going to do?" "I know what I ought to do," said Dr. Faclitmann quietly. "Yeah?" He held a hand up protestingly a? Tiny moved, towards him. "But that doesn't mean ■Xjsluill- do it." »«-•- -- ... , /'You're: a Vsffim guy, eh ? Guessed who nodded at the little man in the chair. "Well, if you was just a bit smarter you'd give yourscli another guess." "I suppose you realise what it meani= to me if I help you? I always thought you had your own doctors, the sort who ; a<?k no awkward questions. About slivers 1 of glass, for instance "

(SHORT STORY.)

(By ALLINGTON KENNARD.)

Nobody noticed Hannah .edging away. Until she had nearly reached the door. "Watch her, Tiny," called the blonde warningly.

An incredibly swift movement, and a gun appeared in Tiny's hand.

"Don't do anything rash, Hannah," said her husband gently. "It would be foolish. Our friend here is much too experienced."

In his chair the little man stirred uneasily. "For God's sake cut the talk and get going. You can't do anything, and you're not such a fool as to try. .besides, there's dough in it." Dr. Fachtmann shook his head. -"I don't want your money. There's nothing I'd like better than to let you die in that chair. It- would be one of the finest things I had ever done." He shrugged his shoulders. "But it's a pleasure I must deny myself. I've <i wife to think of. And to be quite honest, I wasn't cut out for a hero's role." He turned his back on them, and walked to his surgery. It. amused liini when the blonde woman flowed. She watched him open his case of instruments, select bandages/ gauze, lint, (ill a hypodermic syringe. ' Distrustfully she saw him empty one of the tubes in a beaker and add a few drops from a bottle. "What's that?" "Anaesthetic. I'll probe for the bit of glass (ironically) without it if you like. But I don't think your friend would appreciate it." Before beginning, he examined the wound again. The little man bore it all patiently, hardly winced when, deliberately, he prodded the. exposed muscle. Ho felt about round the wound with tho heedl point. Then pressed the plunger. The little man relaxed again. "Have to wait until it takes effect." "Go ahead," said the little man. With tho tweezers he explored carefully.

."Doesn't hurt? I shan't be a minute." Quietly he worked away, unwillingly admiring his patient's pluck. Found the bullet, lost it, gripped it again, and slowly extracted it. Ho held it up for Tiny to see. "Here's your bit of glass." Now the bullet was extracted the blonde woman was jumpy. "Let's get out of here. Let's get going. L'ut his jacket on, Tiny, he can get a shirt and change somewhere else." The little man looked at her mockingly. "Beginning to lose your nerve?" "It's all right, for'ysu, Tiny, but I've nevey been 011 the run like this before. Xot like this I haven't." "By the way, I'\?c left a swab in. You must remember to have it taken out." "Sure thing, doc. .To-morrow. That all right?" • • • • They belted the little man's coat round him. "Don't leave your house for a bit. Give us half an hour, doc. You get that? Even if the cops did pick us up, which they won't, someone'd see you got yours." - ..v.~.. Dr. Fachtmnnn smiled. "Don't worry 011 my;'account. But if you must, then see yoaulon't get caught within a hundred iniles' of here. After that, you can get yourselves caught where you 1 ike. 'Hannah 'opened the door for them. . Hurriedly.the blonde woman and Tiny bundled the' little man down the path and into the back of the car. "Step 011 it, Charlie. Feeling 0.K.?" The little man grunted. "(!ee, he sure copped a packet, didn't he, Charlie?" "Shut up." "0.K., Charlie." From his porch, Dr. Fnclitmann watched the car roar down the road, the sound of it dying as the red taillight swerved and.vanished in the distance. ' - "Weily ' .that's ' 'Vtyhy, you're trembling. It was a bit of a strain, wasn't it?" he sajd tq Hannah. "You must get your car, Fred, and warn tlio police... matter what they said." He shook his head- slowly, and for a moment a fleeting sorrow crossed his face. "There's nothing f<sr police to do May God forgive me, Hannah. I used the tetanus culture."